1. That which is not forbidden is lawful. But church prayer without a premeditated or prescribed form of words is not forbidden (by God); therefore (as to God's laws) it is not unlawful.
2. To express holy desires understandingly, orderly, seriously, and in apt expressions, is lawful praying. But all this may be done without a set form of words; therefore to pray without a set form of words may be lawful.
3. The consent of the universal church, and the experience of godly men, are arguments so strong, as are not to be made light of.
4. To which Scripture instances may be added.
Quest. LXXVIII. _Whether are set forms of words, or free praying without them, the better way? And what are the commodities and incommodities of each way?_
_Answ._ I will first answer the latter question, because the former dependeth on it.
1. The commodities of a set form of words, and the discommodities of free praying, are these following.
1. In a time of dangerous heresy which hath infected the pastors, a set form of prescribed words tendeth to keep the church, and the consciences of the joiners, from such infection, offence, and guilt.
2. When ministers are so weak as to dishonour God's worship by their unapt, and slovenly, and unsound expressions, prescribed or set forms which are well composed, are some preservative and cure. When free praying leaveth the church under this inconvenience.
3. When ministers by faction, passion, or corrupt interests, are apt to put these vices into their prayers, to the injury of others, and of the cause and church of God, free praying cherisheth this, or giveth it opportunity, which set forms do restrain.
4. Concordant set forms do serve for the exactest concord in the churches, that all at once may speak the same things.
5. They are needful to some weak ministers that cannot do so well without them.
6. They somewhat prevent the laying of the reputation of religious worship upon the minister's abilities: when in free praying, the honour and comfort varieth with the various degrees of pastoral abilities; in one place it is excellently well done, in another but dryly, and coldly, and meanly, in another erroneously, unedifyingly, if not dishonourably, tending to the contempt of holy things: whereas in the way of set liturgies, though the ablest (at that time) doth no better, yet the weakest doth (for words) as well, and all alike.
7. And, if proud, weak men have not the composing and imposing of it, all know that words drawn up by study, upon sober premeditation and consultation, have a greater advantage, to be exact and apt, than those that were never thought on till we are speaking them.
8. The very fear of doing amiss, disturbeth some unready men, and maketh them do all the rest the worse.
9. The auditors know beforehand, whether that which they are to join in be sound or unsound, having time to try it.
10. And they can more readily put in their consent to what is spoken, and make the prayer their own, when they know beforehand what it is, than they can do when they know not before they hear it; it being hard to the duller sort of hearers, to concur with an understanding and consent as quick as the speaker's words are. Not but that this may be done, but not without great difficulty in the duller sort.
11. And it tendeth to avoid the pride and self-deceit of many, who think they are good christians, and have the spirit of grace and supplication, because by learning and use they can speak many hours in variety of expressions in prayer; which is a dangerous mistake.
I. The commodities of free extemporate prayers, and the discommodity of prescribed or set forms, are these following.
1. It becometh an advantage to some proud men who think themselves wiser than all the rest, to obtrude their compositions, that none may be thought wise enough, or fit to speak to God, but in their words; and so introduce church tyranny.
2. It may become a hinderance to able, worthy ministers that can do better.
3. It may become a dividing snare to the churches, that cannot all agree and consent in such human impositions.
4. It may become an advantage to heretics when they can but get into power (as the Arians of old) to corrupt all the churches and public worship; and thus the papists have corrupted the churches by the mass.
5. It may become an engine or occasion of persecution, and silencing all those ministers that cannot consent to such impositions.
6. It may become a means of depraving the ministry, and bringing them to a common idleness and ignorance (if other things alike concur). For when men perceive that no greater abilities are used and required, they will commonly labour for and get no greater, and so will be unable to pray without their forms of words.